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NPA News and Awards

The NPA is pleased to recognize the many accomplishments of our dedicated researchers and support staff. Our researchers are key contributors to many of the foremost scientific discoveries impacting American agriculture and the nation’s food supply and their contributions are being recognized both within and outside ARS. In addition, our very capable administrative and support staff have earned recognition for their “behind the scenes” roles as well.

Dr. James Throne and Dr. Jack Morgan have been selected as Mentors of the Year for their exceptional levels of dedication and personal attention given to their assigned protégés. Dr. Throne was nominated by his protégé, Dr. Jamie Strange, and Dr. Morgan was nominated by his protégé, Dr. Rebecca Phillips.

Dr. Phillips characterized Dr. Morgan as the type of high-level scientist she hopes to one day become. Dr. Phillips further noted that Dr. Morgan has been open-minded, supportive, and has helped her consider potential research directions and impacts. Dr. Jamie Strange stated that Dr. Throne’s patience, insight, and advice have been invaluable, and that Dr. Throne has given him sound advice and practical suggestions.

Pease join me in congratulating Dr. Morgan and Dr. Throne. The mentoring component of the Newly Appointed Scientists Professional Development Program is designed to help ensure that new scientists have the tools they need to establish their research agendas and generally successfully transition to ARS.

Past winners:2006 - NPA Mentors of the Year

Dr. Bill Kemp

Dr. Jon Hanson

Dr. Jim Schepers

Dr. Bill Kemp was the recipient of the 2006 NPA Distinguished Mentor of the Year, and Dr. Jon Hanson and Dr. Jim Schepers were each recognized as an NPA Mentor of the Year.

Detailed information on the Newly Appointed Scientists Professional Development Program can be found here:

The NPA Awards of Excellence are presented biannually to recognize outstanding achievements which have contributed significantly to the mission of the NPA and the Agricultural Research Service. Our most recent winners include:

For outstanding research contributions enabling the livestock and red meat industries to improve the quality and safety of meat.

Dr. Wheeler joined the US Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska, in 1989 and has established a world-renowned research program investigating meat quality and food safety. His work is widely cited and has been published in top-ranked journals. Dr. Wheeler has concentrated his research on high priority industry needs related to the development of genetic and postmortem strategies to optimize carcass yield and meat quality and to the elimination of pathogen contamination in beef. He and colleagues developed a new meat tenderness prediction system called slice shear force and used it to develop the first accurate beef tenderness classification system. He has worked with industry partners to develop an image analysis system and further refine it into an on-line objective system for measuring beef carcass yield grade and marbling score. This technology is being utilized by virtually all of the major beef processing plants. The contribution his problem solving research has made was recognized by the American Meat Science Association with the 2012 Signal Service Award.

For novel scientific investigations into the toxicology of mixtures of multiple plant toxins, and teamwork with other members of the research unit and with collaborators.

Dr. Kevin Welch joined the Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory in Logan, Utah, in 2005 and he has established an exceptionally productive and creative research program. His work has clarified the role of several specific alkaloids in the poisonous plant Larkspur, a plant that causes livestock producers millions of dollars annually. Also, in response to a request from the cattle industry, he investigated and demonstrated that western juniper needles, bark and berries can produce abortions in cattle similar to the effect of Ponderosa pine needles. His work is published in top-ranked journals and is widely cited.

Jim Bradley, Deputy Administrator, Administrative and Financial Management, announces the winners of the AFM Support Awards for Excellence. Recipients are recognized at the ARS Annual Recognition Program in Washington, DC. Congratulations to our winners from the NPA!

2011 - Ronald F. Follett - Fort Collins, CORonald Follett is recognized for research leading to vast improvements in agricultural practices that enhance the quality of soil, water and air. Widely recognized for his work on managing nitrogen for groundwater quality, Follett organized a team responding to then president George h. w. bush's water quality imitative. He also published an internationally used computer model on nitrogen leaching. He pioneered recognition of "soil organic carbon" (SOC) as an offset to greenhouse gas emissions and is widely recognized for his work on nitrogen. Since 2005, follett has led the ARS GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas reduction through agriculture carbon enhancement network) research effort, working with over 70 scientists from 32 ARS locations around the United states. The group has published 160 scientific papers so far. Along with other research, the network is developing a nationwide database of information from field studies for development of models that address the role of U.S. agriculture on greenhouse emissions and global climate change, as well as the potential of improved soil and crop management systems to affect these factors. Follett received the No-Till Innovator Award at the No-Till Farmer's 2007 Annual Meeting, the Soil Science Society of America's Soil Science Research Award and the Hugh Hammond Bennett Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society. He is a fellow of th Soil Science Society of America, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. USDA has recognized Follett with the Distinguished Service Award and Superior Service Award, as well as ARS' Senior Research Scientist of the Year Award. In addition, he was honored with the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Senior Professional.

2010 - Dr. Dale Van Vleck (retired) - Clay Center, NEDr. Dale Van Vleck, retired Research Geneticist with the Genetics & Breeding Research Unit at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (US MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska, was inducted into the ARS Science Hall of Fame in September 2010. Van Vleck is being honored for "developing science-based theory and techniques for worldwide genetic improvement of farm animals, including beef and dairy cattle, pigs, and sheep," said Knipling. "The easy-to-use software that Van Vleck and colleagues created for evaluating inheritance of economically valuable traits in livestock benefits producers and consumers around the globe. The software allows faster, more complex statistical analyses of more genetic data--from more animals--than was previously possible."

Van Vleck joined ARS in 1988 after retiring from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He retired from the ARS Roman J. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb., in 2007.

2004 - Dr. Keith E. Gregory (retired) - Clay Center, NEFor recognition of outstanding research contributions in genetics and breeding of beef cattle and for leadership of research programs with the Agricultural Research Service.